The defensive tackle position is one that the LSU Tigers
have made a priority on the recruiting trail as National Signing Day draws
near.

The last three weekends in January will bring a large contingent
of visitors to Baton Rouge as the Tigers look to close out their recruiting
class with a bang. On January 24, LSU will host a pair of mammoth defensive
tackle prospects in Travonte Valentine and Malik McDowell. This past weekend,
the Tigers brought in a pair of prospects in Breeland Speaks and TreyLealaimatafao. There is also a new name to monitor as the Tigers will look to
flip a SEC foe's commit. Here is an inside look at how the defensive tackle
board will shake out down the stretch.

Ole Miss defensive tackle commitment Breeland Speaks spent
his weekend with family in Baton Rouge. Speaks spoke very highly of the Tigers'
program fresh off his visit on Sunday. Sources at LSU feel they made a lasting
impression on the 6-4, 285-pound prospect that could keep them in the race
until the end. Speaks is a major want at this stage of the process as his
physical stature and intelligence really stand out to the staff. It's a two
team race between LSU and Ole Miss with Arkansas being the dark horse. I will stop short of calling LSU his leader, but they are certainly a major player.

Trey Lealaimatafao runs a drill during U.S. Army All-American Bowl West practice. Lealaimatafao picked up an offer from LSU Thursday.BOWSTRING STUDIOS

The other visitor this past weekend at the defensive tackle
position was Trey Lealaimatafao. The 6-0, 300-pound lineman from Warren High
School in San Antonio, Texas really enjoyed his visit according to just about
everyone that was contacted on the situation. His next stop is Oregon and they
figure to be the biggest threat to LSU down the stretch. LSU didn't push for a
commitment we are told, but they certainly let him know that he is very high on
their board.

A new name to watch out for is Wilkinson County High School
defensive tackle Johnny Dwight. The 6-3, 300-pound Alabama commitment from
Rochelle, Georgia has been a target of LSU's for some time, but things cooled
off once he committed to the Crimson Tide. Well, the door may be opening again
as we have learned that he has been reaching out to LSU's staffers regularly as his contact with Alabama dwindles. From what we have gathered, he hasn't set up an
official visit to LSU, yet, but it's very likely that it will transpire soon. Multiple sources in Georgia feel that LSU will land Dwight, which would
be somewhat of a shock to most fans because his name has been rarely mentioned
in regards to LSU. From all the info I have gathered, expect him to be in the LSU class if everything works out as planned.

Miami commitment and LSU target Travonte Valentine runs a drill at practice Tuesday for the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. (Andrew Lopez, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)Andrew Lopez, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune

Champagnat Catholic, Hialeah, Fla. defensive tackle Travonte
Valentine has been linked to LSU for quite some time now. The 6-3, 338-pound
behemoth is set to visit the Tigers on January 24 in what could be the end of
his recruitment. He took an unofficial to Miami this past weekend, but as they
pressured him for a commitment, he made it known that he wasn't in a position
to give them one at that time. In fact, we have learned that Miami trails LSU
significantly at this stage of the process with those close to him calling it a
done deal for the Tigers. As we have all learned this recruiting cycle, there is no such
thing. However, LSU appears to be in great shape at this time.

Malik McDowell, a 6-6, 300-pound defensive tackle,will be
taking his official visit to Baton Rouge on January 24 as well. The Southfield
High School star from Southfield, Michigan is one of the nation's top
uncommitted prospects. LSU defensive line coach Brick Haley has been
spearheading the recruitment and has done a good job up to this point. With
that said, it will need to be another of Haley's late miracles to sway this
prospect. His mother has dug her heels in on doing her part to keep him close
to home and Michigan State has benefited from that stance. McDowell does have
family in Louisiana, but the distance factor may be too much to overcome. The
Tigers have a shot, but it has closed quite a bit over recent weeks, according
to multiple sources on the ground.

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James Smith previously worked as a talent evaluator for Elite Scouting and Max Emfinger and has served on the selection committees of various high school All-American games. He can be reached at jsmith2@nola.com or 504.826.3405.